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Journal ArticleDOI

Smart and Resilient Urban Futures for Sustainability in the Post COVID-19 Era: A Review of Policy Responses on Urban Mobility

07 Jun 2021-Sustainability (MDPI AG)-Vol. 13, Iss: 11, pp 6486
TL;DR: In this article, the authors collected 60 initial policy responses related to urban mobility from cities around the world and analyzed them based on the challenge they aim to address, the exact principles of smart growth and sustainable mobility that they encapsulate, as well as the level of ICT penetration.
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has put lifestyles in question, changed daily routines, and limited citizen freedoms that seemed inalienable before. A human activity that has been greatly affected since the beginning of the health crisis is mobility. Focusing on mobility, we aim to discuss the transformational impact that the pandemic brought to this specific urban domain, especially with regards to the promotion of sustainability, the smart growth agenda, and the acceleration towards the smart city paradigm. We collect 60 initial policy responses related to urban mobility from cities around the world and analyze them based on the challenge they aim to address, the exact principles of smart growth and sustainable mobility that they encapsulate, as well as the level of ICT penetration. Our findings suggest that emerging strategies, although mainly temporary, are transformational, in line with the principles of smart growth and sustainable development. Most policy responses adopted during the first months of the pandemic, however, fail to leverage advancements made in the field of smart cities, and to adopt off-the-shelf solutions such as monitoring, alerting, and operations management.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Differences in human activities caused by COVID-19 that can support targeted urban management in the post-epidemic era are revealed.

16 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Oct 2022-iScience
TL;DR: In this article , the authors rely on bibliometric analysis techniques to gain an overview of the knowledge structure and map key themes and trends of research on cities and the pandemic, finding that research mainly focuses on six broad themes: air quality, meteorological factors, built environment factors, transportation, socioeconomic disparities, and smart cities.

12 citations

Proceedings ArticleDOI
10 Nov 2021
TL;DR: In this article, a conceptual framework was developed in which these factors were identified through a literature review and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) methodology, and the way in which they relate was evaluated with the help of the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) methodology.
Abstract: Big Data, the Internet of Things, and robotic and augmented realities are just some of the technologies that belong to Industry 4.0. These technologies improve working conditions and increase productivity and the quality of industry production. However, they can also improve life and society as a whole. A new perspective is oriented towards social well-being and it is called Society 5.0. Industry 4.0 supports the transition to the new society, but other drivers are also needed. To guide the transition, it is necessary to identify the enabling factors that integrate Industry 4.0. A conceptual framework was developed in which these factors were identified through a literature review and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) methodology. Furthermore, the way in which they relate was evaluated with the help of the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) methodology. The proposed framework fills a research gap, which has not yet consolidated a strategy that includes all aspects of Society 5.0. As a result, the main driver, in addition to technology, is international politics.

11 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper , a set of official smart city policy frameworks under the policy analysis microscope was placed. And the authors employed the main themes to identify common urban issues in smart city policies.
Abstract: Today, many cities around the globe are interested in developing or adopting smart city policy frameworks; however, the complexity of the smart city concept combined with complicated urban issues makes it a highly challenging task. Moreover, there are limited studies to consolidate our understanding of smart city policymaking. The aim of this study was to bridge this knowledge gap by placing a set of official smart city policy frameworks under the policy analysis microscope. The study approached the analysis by, firstly, internationally collating the smart city policy frameworks of 52 local governments from 17 countries. The methodology then progressed to a deductive content analysis of the identified policies with a thematic data analysis software. The investigation employed the main themes to identify common urban issues in smart city policies—i.e., smart economy, smart environment, smart governance, smart living, smart mobility, and smart people. The results revealed the targeted key planning issues, goals, and priorities, and the ways that smart city policies address these key planning issues, goals, and priorities. The study findings inform policymakers, planners and practitioners on the smart city policy priorities and provide insights for smart city policymaking.

9 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wang et al. as mentioned in this paper conducted a bibliometric analysis to analyze the research progress, areas, hotspots, and strategies pertaining to resilient cities (RCs) and found that country cooperation mainly is concentrated in countries with good economic development trends, such as the United States, China, and the United Kingdom.
Abstract: The increasingly severe environmental pollution and the Earth’s ecological crisis make the concept of resilient cities (RCs) a hot topic in urban research. We ran a bibliometric analysis to analyze the research progress, areas, hotspots, and strategies pertaining to RCs. The core collection came from the Web of Science (WoS) database as the data source to explore 4462 literature works on RCs. The results revealed that development time series analysis is divided into three stages. Changes in the number of publications are linked to natural disasters, the ecological environment, and science policy. The top five issuing journals accounted for 24.15% of the total sample. Country cooperation mainly is concentrated in countries with good economic development trends, such as the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. There were 63 core authors. The most published research institution was the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The RC research hotspots included the definition of resilience and evolution, the study of resilience as an analytical framework for urban issues, and resilience assessment indicators. This paper shows that RCs should strengthen multi-country cooperation and interdisciplinary integration and should focus on comprehensive research on basic theories, evaluation systems, and action mechanisms to reference future research on RCs further.

8 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
01 May 2020-Science
TL;DR: Real-time mobility data from Wuhan and detailed case data including travel history are used to elucidate the role of case importation in transmission in cities across China and to ascertain the impact of control measures.
Abstract: The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak expanded rapidly throughout China. Major behavioral, clinical, and state interventions were undertaken to mitigate the epidemic and prevent the persistence of the virus in human populations in China and worldwide. It remains unclear how these unprecedented interventions, including travel restrictions, affected COVID-19 spread in China. We used real-time mobility data from Wuhan and detailed case data including travel history to elucidate the role of case importation in transmission in cities across China and to ascertain the impact of control measures. Early on, the spatial distribution of COVID-19 cases in China was explained well by human mobility data. After the implementation of control measures, this correlation dropped and growth rates became negative in most locations, although shifts in the demographics of reported cases were still indicative of local chains of transmission outside of Wuhan. This study shows that the drastic control measures implemented in China substantially mitigated the spread of COVID-19.

2,362 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The European Green Deal as discussed by the authors is a kind of roadmap for achieving the sustainability of the EU economy by turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities in all policy areas, through a just and inclusive transition for all.
Abstract: This article aims to present the main objectives and characteristics of the European Green Deal, which is a kind of roadmap for achieving the sustainability of the EU economy by turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities in all policy areas, through a just and inclusive transition for all. The implementation of this roadmap provides for actions to use resources efficiently by moving to a circular economy, reducing biodiversity loss and diminishing pollution. The roadmap also sets out the necessary investments and financial instruments and the need to ensure a just and inclusive transition. Transforming the economy of the European Union (EU) into a resource-efficient economy in which economic growth is not directly linked to the use of resources, based on the cessation of net emissions by 2050. The European Green Deal outlines a plan for this transformative change.

638 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Overall, existing knowledge shows that the COVID-19 crisis entails an excellent opportunity for planners and policy makers to take transformative actions towards creating cities that are more just, resilient, and sustainable.

610 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors synthesize the state-of-the-art, up to early June 2020, on key developments regarding public transportation and the COVID-19 pandemic, including the different responses adopted by governments and public transportation agencies around the world, and the research needs pertaining to critical issues that minimize contagion risk in public transportation in the so-called post-lockdown phase.
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic poses a great challenge for contemporary public transportation worldwide, resulting from an unprecedented decline in demand and revenue In this paper, the authors synthesize the state-of-the-art, up to early June 2020, on key developments regarding public transportation and the COVID-19 pandemic, including the different responses adopted by governments and public transportation agencies around the world, and the research needs pertaining to critical issues that minimize contagion risk in public transportation in the so-called post-lockdown phase While attempts at adherence to physical distancing (which challenges the very concept of mass public transportation) are looming in several countries, the latest research shows that for closed environments such as public transportation vehicles, the proper use of face masks has significantly reduced the probability of contagion The economic and social effects of the COVID-19 outbreak in public transportation extend beyond service performance and health risks to financial viability, social equity, and sustainable mobility There is a risk that if the public transportation sector is perceived as poorly transitioning to post-pandemic conditions, that viewing public transportation as unhealthy will gain ground and might be sustained To this end, this paper identifies the research needs and outlines a research agenda for the public health implications of alternative strategies and scenarios, specifically measures to reduce crowding in public transportation The paper provides an overview and an outlook for transit policy makers, planners, and researchers to map the state-of-affairs and research needs related to the impacts of the pandemic crisis on public transportation Some research needs require urgent attention given what is ultimately at stake in several countries: restoring the ability of public transportation systems to fulfill their societal role

481 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore how social distancing measures affected recreational use of urban green space during the partial lockdown in Oslo, Norway, and find that outdoor recreational activity increased by 291% during lockdown relative to a 3-yr average for the same days.
Abstract: The global response to the COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it significant changes to human mobility patterns and working environments. We aimed to explore how social distancing measures affected recreational use of urban green space during the partial lockdown in Oslo, Norway. Mobile tracking data from thousands of recreationists were used to analyze high resolution spatio-temporal changes in activity. We estimated that outdoor recreational activity increased by 291% during lockdown relative to a 3-yr average for the same days. This increase was significantly greater than expected after adjusting for the prevailing weather and time of year and equates to approx. 86,000 extra activities per day over the municipality (population of 690,000). Both pedestrians (walking, running, hiking) and cyclists appeared to intensify activity on trails with higher greenviews and tree canopy cover, but with differences in response modulated by trail accessibility and social distancing preferences. The magnitude of increase was positively associated with trail remoteness, suggesting that green spaces facilitated social distancing and indirectly mitigated the spread of COVID-19. Finally, pedestrian activity increased in city parks, peri-urban forest, as well as protected areas, highlighting the importance of access to green open spaces that are interwoven within the built-up matrix. These findings shed new light on the value of urban nature as resilience infrastructure during a time of crisis. The current pandemic also reveals some important dilemmas we might face regarding green justice on the path towards urban planning for future sustainable cities.

443 citations

Trending Questions (1)
[4]Bauer, F.Millennials, Gen, Z., 2021. A look into the future of sustainable mobility. Sustainability 13 (6), 3158. ?

The provided paper is not mentioned in the text. The paper is about policy responses on urban mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic.